Boot tree



A. NiEMl BOOT TREE Oct. 27, 1931.

Filed Feb. lO, 1951 5 SheetS-Sheet l fluor/Map.

A N|EM| 1,828,937

BOOT TREE Filed Feb. l0, 1951 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Oct. 27, 1931.

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A. NIEMI BOT TREE Oct. 27, 1931.

Filed Feb. lO, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @lf/Wemag@ when required.

Patented Oct. 27,` 1931 UNITED STATES-PATENT orricE ANDREW NIEMI, or moocx, MICHIGAN,

` n y' Boor Application lved February 10, 1931'. Serial'iNo. 514,862.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, Vthe leather.

beingshownin full lines upon orin.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view.

Fig.- 4 is a longitudinal sectional viewV at right anglestoFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation. y Fig. Gis a horizontal sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.y Y

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing details of construction used at'the upper end of the ytree or form.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the filler strips which may be used between the front and rear sections of the form. y

Fig.` 9 is a detail perspective view showing the heel form. f n

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective illustrating the instepform. M l. l A 'preferred construction has been illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and will be ratherV specifically` described, with the understanding however, `that within, the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made. n v

.An expansible leg form L is shownhaving v'a forwardly projecting instep form yI and provided also with a heel form H, both forms I and H being` detachable from the leg form L, in order that instep andheel forms of different dimensions may be substituted the tree or TheJ ieg form L isdrvided info from and rear sections F and R respectively, and the.

i upperand lower end facesof said sections,

are formed with parallel undercut grooves l2.v Plates l3lie against the aforesaid end faces or' the sections F and R and are provided with dove-.tail ribs 14 which are slidably received in the grooves 12, said plates 13 being formed with central` openings l5. Vertical screws 16 passrotatably through the lopenings andare rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 17 which are shdably seated in recesses 13 formed in the adjacent sides of the torni sections F and R. Also formed kin these sides ci' thesections F and R, are longitudinai wedge-ways 19 in which wedges 20 are slidabiy received, the screws 16 being threaded through said wedges respectively.,

By operating the upper screw, the upper ends or the form sections F and R may be spread to any desired extent, independently of the ower'ends of said sections. Similarly, by operating the lower screw, the lower ends of said sections may be spread without similarly i moving the upper ends of the sections.'

Filler strips-21 are interposed between the seetions'F and R of the leg form and are provided in their ends with vundercut notches 221slidably receiving the ribs 14. Any desired numberof' thesev filler strips may be employed, or forunusually small boots, all :of them* may `be removed.

The instep form I is dove-tailed to the front leg section F as shown at 22a, being detachably secured by screw 23 (Fig. 3 .v The crest ofthis instep form I, and the' ront of thelegsection F are formed with registering Ylongitudinal grooves 24 Vand 25, in which a flat metal strip 26 is snugly seated, the upper portion of said strip 26 being securedfto the leg section F by a screw 27, while the lower portion of said strip is secured by another screw 28 to the instep form I. By removing the screws 28 and 23, the instep form I may beV downwardly slid from the leg form, whereupon another instep form of desired proportions may be substituted. .V

Thestrip 26 is provided with a plurality of spurs .29 spaced apart longitudinally thereof and adaptedfor passage through the "overlapped edges "EIO of the boot-forming leather or other material 31.` These spurs Vthus not only anchor the overlapped ed es ofthe material, but form the same with per end of the leg being formed A material 3l. Any desired number of the liller strips 2l may be-einployed, or they may all vbe omitted as desired, and instep and heel openings to later receive eyelets or the like.

To prevent accidental pulling of the edges 230 from the spurs 29, a clamping strip 321s employed, said clamping strip havmg its lower end hinged at 33 to a plate 34, the latter being detachably secured by a screw or the like tothe lower side of the instep form I. Strip 32 extends along the crest of the form I and vertically in front of the leg section l?, and is provided with openings 36 which receive the projecting ends of the spurs 29. The upper end of the strip 32 is formed with a vertical slot 37 through which the flat head 38 of a clamping screw 39 may pass, said screw being threaded through the upper end of the strip 26. By turning the screw 39 retrogradely to loosen it and then disposing its head 38 vertically, the strip 32may be forwardly swung .to released position, the slot 37 then clearing said head 3S.

When detaching the instep form I for substitutlonof another, the plate 34 is detached from said instep form and is attached to the form to be substituted, detachment and reattachnient of said plate 34 being effected by means of the screw or the like 35.

The heel forni H preferably embodies a block 40 secured wit-hin the bight portion of a U-sliaped metal plate 4l, the ends of said plate constituting forwardly projecting ywings 42. The upper end of the block 40 abuts the lower end of the leg section R and is provided with an upstanding stud 43, said lower end of section R being formed with a downwardly opening socket 44 which removably receives said stud. The lower end .of blocs 40 projects below the plate 4l and is provided with ears 45 to which the lower end of a rear clamping strip 46, is hinged at 47.

This strip 4G extends vertically at the rear ofthe section R and isprovided with releasable clamping means 47 at its upper end, similar to the clamping means for the front strip 32.

The heel forni II may be readily detached from the leg section. R and replaced with a heel form of other required dimensions, and when so doing, the clamping strip 46 is detached from the one heel forni and attached to the substitute form.

The spurs 29 and the front and rear clamping strips 32 and 46, serve to hold the leather or the like 3l against the form, so that upon operation of the screws 16 and consequent spreading of the sections F and R, said material may be stretched to the required eX- l tent. If desired, a spring-contacted band 48 may be employed to assist in holdinv the upfrom the forms I and IFI of desired dimensions and proportions, may be used. Hence, bootlegs of desired sizes and shapes and having instep and heel portions of proper dimensions, may be readily formed with the improved tree, and due to the spurs 29, the front edges of the leg and instep portions will be provided with openings for eyelets or the like.

The rear clamping strip 46 is preferably provided with a measuring scale as seen in F ig. 5. The part 49 shown at the lower end of this strip is merely a spring which assists in outwardly swinging the strip 46 about the hinge 47.

Y Attention is again invited to the fact that variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim l. A boot leg-shaping form divided vertically into front and rear sections, the upper and lower end faces of said sections being provided with grooves, plates lyin0r slidably against said upper and lower end faces of said sections and provided with ribs slidably ref' ceived in said grooves, said plates having openings, and means for spreading said sections, embodying actuators passing through said openings.

2. A boot leg-shaping form divided verticallypinto front and rear sections, the upper and lower end faces of said sections being provided with grooves, plates lying slidably against said upper and lower end faces of said sections and provided with ribs slidably received in said grooves, said plates having openings, a filler section between said front and rear sections having notches in its ends slidably receiving said ribs, and means for spreading said front and rear sections, ein-` bodying actuators passing through said openings. v

3. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form having a heelshaping portion and a forwardly projecting instep form, a vfront clamping strip hinged at its lower end to the front extremity of said instep form, said strip extending along the crest of said instep forni and vertically along the front of said leg form, a. rear clamping stripV i hinged at its lower end to the lower part of said heel-shaping portion andextending vertically along said leg form, and releasable clamping means for securing the upper ends,

of said strips to said leg form.

4. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form having a forwardly projecting instep form, a row of spurs extending along the crest of said instep form and vertically along said leg form, said spurs being adapted for passage through overlapped front edges of the boot leg material to anchor said edges and form eyelet openings therein,

and means for holding said overlapped edges against accidental pulling from. said spurs.

5. A boot lcv-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form provided with a forwardly projecting instep form, a row of projecting spurs extending along the crest of said instep forni and vertically along the front of downwardly projecting ear', said stud being said leg form, said spurs being adapted for received in said socket, a clamping strip passage through overlapped front edges of hinged to saidear and extending vertically the boot leg material, a clamping strip extending vertically leg form and forwardly along said crest of said instep form, said strip having openings to receive the ends of said spurs, and means for connecting the ends of said strip with Said leg and instep forms respectively.

6. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form provided with a forwardly projecting instep form, a row of projecting spurs extending along the crest of said instep form and vertically along the front of said leg form, said spurs being adapted for passage through overlapped front edges of the boot leg material7 a clamping strip extending vertically along said front of said leg form and forwardly along said crest of said instep form, said strip having openings to receive the ends of said spurs, means hingedly connecting the lower end of said strip to v said instep form, and releasable clamping means for connecting the upper end of said strip withl said leg form.

7. A boot leg-forming device comprising an expansible leg form, a detachable instep form projecting forwardly from said leg form, the crest of said instep form and the front of said leg form having registering longitudinal grooves, a metal strip seated in said e grooves, and means securing said strip to said kleg and instep forms, but allowing detachment of said instep form.

8. A structure as specified in claim 7; together with outwardly projecting spurs rigidly carried by said strip.

9. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an eXpansible leg form, a heel form abutting the lower end lof said leg form and having for- Wardly projecting wings, and means detachably securing said heel and leg vforms together. Y

l0. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form, and a heel form abutting the lower end of said leg form and having an upstanding stud, said leg form having a socket removably receiving said stud.

11. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form, a heel form abutting the lower end of said leg form and detachably connected therewith, a clamping strip hinged to said heel form and extending upwardly along said leg form, andreleasable securing means for the upper end `of said strip.

12. A boot leg-shaping device comprising an expansible leg form, a U-shaped heel-shaping plate at the lower end of said leg form, a filler block secured within the bight portion of said U-shaped plate and abutting the lower end of said leg form, the latter having a. downwardly open socket in said lower end, said block having an upstanding stud and a along said leg form, and releasable securing along said front of said means for the upper end of said strip.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. V

ANDREW NIEMI. 

